Start Self Help Groups for 200 Women in KaleboLaka

Nigist is 28 years old. She lives in the rural village of Kalebo Laka in southwest Ethiopia. She is a mother of three children.  

Nigist recently shared the following with HOPE's Project Manager:

“My family seriously suffers with waterborne diseases because they are using water from rivers and unprotected springs. We walk 35 minutes one way to fetch 20 litres of unprotected water.  It takes me four hours a day to collect water for the whole family so that we have enough water for our daily consumption.  Due to this inadequate and contaminated water source, my family suffers from severe diarrhea and other stomach diseases. This situation leads us to increased poverty as we spend our precious money on needed medication."

At present HOPE Ethiopia staff have nearly completed the water project with the assistance of members of the community.  Due to more untimely heavy rain, there has been a delay in handing over the system to the community.  This will take place when the final component of building a fence around each water point has been completed by the community.  This is expected to be done by the end of the month.

Whilst the water system was being built, the Self Help Groups (SHG) have also started.  In Kalebo Laka more than 100 women expressed a desire to be a part of an SHG.  HOPE staff, therefore, agreed to allow 110 women form 11 small groups to work together to save and lend money and start small businesses.  Training has commenced and each group is now starting to save money each week.  The amount has been decided upon by each individual group.  

Nigist continues, “Now HOPE is bringing clean water to our village. And as the construction is nearly completed, we hope all problems will go and we will be very happy and healthy. We are also getting health education and have constructed our own pit latrine and home utensils washing and drying beds. Similarly, HOPE has introduced Self Help Groups and I joined a group and started saving money for the first time ever. Now, we are getting different kinds of training which is very important for us. We are also planning how to start small business. So our future is very bright – thanks to HOPE”.

For Nigist and the other women in her village, the introduction of SHG groups when clean water will soon be available just minutes from their homes, has provided much hope for their future and a concrete means for them to help themselves out of poverty.  Their SHGs have become tranformative support groups, holding one another accountable to save money each week and to start a small business, increasing their family income.  Soon access to local, clean water will give them more time each day to develop these businesses, their children can attend school, more food can be grown and their families will also be healthier. 

Thank you for your help in making their future bright!